Sounds like you've gotten on the right path of freelancing! I consider myself a proto-freelancer I model the combined lines of the SP, WP, and NP railroads... and I'm toying with the idea of adding the ATSF, GN, and MILW
Steve
If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!
NWP SWP Hello Jet Clipper, I gather that you model a freelanced railroad? If so would you mind sharing some info about your railroad? Look forward to seeing this project get off the ground...
Hello Jet Clipper, I gather that you model a freelanced railroad? If so would you mind sharing some info about your railroad? Look forward to seeing this project get off the ground...
I'm still writing my railroad's story. And yes, I have to have a story for it. It is freelanced, and "runs from as far south as Mobile, as far west as San Francisco, and as far north as Detroit".
I take a lot of inspiration from the railroads of old and try to put my own spin on them.
So, a few days back, I posted my plans for 2018. In there, I stated that I preordered the Highliners F3A kit. Well, here's what I plan on doing with it:
C&P EMD F5 714
Why an F5? Why not?
This is going to be 'patient 0' of the "C&P Rebuild Program," something my railroad did in the late 60's to extend the lifetime of the F units in their fleet. A few mods, improved MU connections, yadda yadda yadda... I'm still ironing out the nitty gritty. But, there's a story behind this unit in particular.
In 1965, 714 and a sister unit (F7 740) got into a wreck at the Los Nietos Junction, forcing them into storage. They weren't write-offs, so they were the prime candidates for the Rebuild Program, and they were ready to roll in 1967.
These two units feature two things all other units don't have; SP-styled Gyralights and GM&O/ICG MU Doors. For some reason, I began to have an obsession with Illinois Central Gulf, so I thought 'why not throw a unique feature from their locomotives onto mine'.
The Gyralights are supposed to be the main feature that set this unit apart from the others. Try and imagine the standard Pyle Dual Beam and Big Hole Gyralights on the nose door of an F Unit. Other units have the standard light set that the F Units of the time had (think of the Santa Fe's).
So, with the main differences out of the way, let's get onto the general details.
Who is making the parts I need? Primarily Details West and Cal Scale. I plan on getting the GN/NP styled plow.
How long is this going to take? I don't know... With my guitar restoration being as expensive as it is, I don't plan on putting a lot of money down on trains until at least August, so I guess I'll get to work around September? Not to mention, I don't have an air brush, so I gotta save up for one. I think this will be a long term project... In the mean time, I'll maybe buy a boxcar kit or two (or ten!) to touch up on some skills.
So, what do you guys think?
I plan on coming back to this tread when I finally get around to putting this whole thing together.